What's scarier than a dog driving alone in a pickup truck? For me, it's Microsoft Windows' latest vulnerability:  the JPEG of Death [New Scientist]

Sighted: dog drives by in red pickup truck "A pedestrian in a Whitehorse suburb was taken aback Tuesday night when a black dog drove by in a red pickup truck. Police said a resident was out for a walk when a truck with a Labrador retriever at the wheel passed by...." [CBC News]

Microsoft patches CRITICAL security flaw in Windows. WA Microsoft's Latest Security Tool will check your computer for vulnerable software: Microsoft Office, Digital Image Suites, etc. and then tell you which updates you need. [ComputerWorld]  

You can order some of the huge updates by phone and have them delivered on CD by mail. However, some updates are only available by download.

I called this US customer number: 1 800 248-0655, and placed an order for MS Office Service Pak 3. There's a nominal shipping charge for qualified customers. I was told my update CD would arrive within 3-10 days. The last time I ordered a CD from Microsoft (XP SP2), it arrived within 2 days!  Microsoft gets high marks for its quick response for sending security updates.

In the meantime, I asked the Microsoft representative how to stay safe. He said to just be careful and to only surf to 'SAFE' sites.  I also asked him which RSS readers would filter out this kind of vulnerability. He had no idea what an RSS reader was...

FeedDemon by Nick Bradbury is one RSS reader I recommend, because Nick patches for vulnerabilities, so his reader won't execute malicious scripts which exploit known vulnerabilities. However, I don't know if FeedDemon can patch for this one.

The Black Stump provides a searchable and eclectic collection of the most interesting sites and funny sites on the web:

•  The Chronicles of George, a fond look at an inept technical support representative. Actually, George seems much more competent than the canned emails by vendors which masquerade as technical support.
• Strange breed remains true to its domain name and wildly humorous..

Buddy Puppy serves up beautiful galleries of dog photos. A Thailand dog enthusiasts web site proves that dogs make great photoshop opportunities. If you think your own photoshop pet portraits have universal appeal, you can even sell your own dog photos on Buddy Puppy.  [Dog Runner Links] The beautiful pet photos and charming web design holds delight for all cultures.